Wake Up!
by Ship Stethan
Summary: Stiles feels like he may as well give in and stop resisting. He can't fight the force that has taken him over, or at least not alone... STEREK


_**Wake Up!**_

_**Chapter One**_

Stiles backed into the corner of the dark room strangely like a basement, except the very air was dank with fear and evil. His shadow counterpart stepped into his personal space, smirking at his fear. You wouldn't have been able to tell one of them was Stiles Stilinski and the other wasn't.

"You are useless," his dark twin taunted through amber eyes and a voice exactly his own. "Need I remind you that I'm saving us? You heard what the doctor said... "

The real Stiles forced his eyes shut, inhaling for the courage he needed to stop this monster from playing with his head. Too late for that- the monster was in control now, while he was banished to this dark room in the corner of their mind...

"I can sense your fear Stiles," his double whispered, pushing against him, pressing his body against the ice cold wall of the basement. His eyes danced with amused malice. "You can hide nothing from me. Derek said it best, didn't he Stiles?"

The real Stiles released a gasp as his twin twisted and morphed into Derek. Those cold eyes and that scowl were on him, penetrating into his very soul, if he still had one...

"Skinny, defenseless Stiles... " Nogitsune Derek taunted in a low voice. "Skinny, defenseless Stiles... "

"Stop it!" Stiles spat at him.

But the words seemed to echo over and over in his mind, filling the very room itself.

"Skinny, defenseless Stiles... "

"Skinny, defenseless... "

"NO!" Stiles roared, shoving at Faux Derek, but he may as well have tried to push a concrete wall.

Derek laughed in his face, instantly shifting into the demon with the bandaged head and pointed teeth. Stiles recoiled in wide-eyed fear.

"Everyone has it, but no one... "

"Just stop!" Stiles sobbed, forcing his eyes closed, tears leaking down his cheeks. "Just stop!"

"Great," a silky voice replied, this time his own. "Then I'm still in control!"

Suddenly his eyes flew open, lips curling into an evil smile. _He _was still in control, well _their _evil side. It was time to cause more suffering and chaos. That explosion at the station and that fool Finstock had just been the opening act!

Stiles took in his surroundings with even more amusement, an overpowering smell of decay and a crumbling ruin of a house.

"If only Derek knew," Stiles muttered to himself in amusement.

The former alpha wouldn't know. He hadn't visited his crumbling ruin of a family home in months. Not since he'd rented that loft...

Stiles felt his entire body freeze, feeling a rush of emotions his dark side deeply despised- compassion and pity. _Derek_...

Stiles felt conflicted, thinking of how much Derek had already lost, and the Nogitsune's words came back to him.

_'Everyone who ever meant something to you. We're going to DESTROY ALL OF THEM!"_

Stiles gasped, almost like a hiccuping sound, and suddenly came to himself. He looked around like he was only now fully aware that he was in the Hale house.

He was himself! He was in control! Then despair rose in him, slowly choking out any hope. How long was the monster letting him have control? How could he be sure this wasn't a trick, and the Nogitsune wasn't waiting for him to place himself close to one of his friends?

Stiles felt his stomach twist in guilt at the memory of twisting that blade inside of Scott. His shadow had made him do it, but really what was the difference between the light in him and the shadow these days?

Stiles came to a sudden decision. He couldn't bear the thought of ever hurting his best friend like that again. He was going to find Derek... to ask him to kill him.

oooooOOOooooo

"I guess... " Derek hesitated, inhaling heavily.

His back was still turned, his uncle's question unanswered. The only reasonable answer seemed too painful. He'd already lost too many people...

"I guess I'll have to kill him," Derek said, managing to keep his voice from breaking.

More pain came at the image of Stiles on the end of his claws, an image that was quickly replaced by Boyd in his mind.

"We both know you won't do it," Peter challenged him. "You can hear the hesitation in your voice Derek."

Derek released an audiable sigh, clenching his eyes shut as reluctant tears escaped. Peter didn't see them.

"Just leave me alone," Derek almost whispered. "You never did understand me."

"I know you have feelings for him," Peter pressed.

"You don't know anything!" Derek snapped, voice raising.

Still- the way he remained standing in the middle of his loft, fists clenched at his sides, still refusing to look Peter in the eye... it may as well have been an admission to everything. Peter had observed Derek's conflicted feelings too many times...

Peter had accused him of being weak, asking him what he was going to do. He couldn't stop his mind from reaching the only logical conclusion...

A soft banging on the loft door snapped him from his thoughts. He scented at the air, frowning at the scent he'd recognize anywhere. It was a smell that both infuriated and captivated him.

"Stay," he warned Peter, who had already taken a step forward.

He slid back the door and was caught off guard by the sudden embrace of arms. Derek held the shivering form against him, insides clenching in agony for what he knew Stiles must be suffering. He shouldn't be holding the boy this close...

"I don't know who I am anymore Derek," Stiles whispered. "He's controlling me, and I can only stop him so much... "

"Is that what he told you?" Derek questioned, still refusing to let Stiles go, and he didn't quite understand why. His body had a will of its own.

Peter's eyes narrowed as one of Stiles' hands dropped from Derek's shoulder, slipping into his pocket, pulling out...

He rushed into action, but Derek had already acted, just as quick as Stiles raised the dagger to strike, he found himself prevented by a steel grip.

A reproachful look filled those amber eyes, and Derek understood the Nogitsune was in control now.

"Damn you," Stiles spat at him, hand still caught in Derek's overpowering grasp.

"No damn you," Derek snapped back with hate in his eyes. "And fuck you. Get out of him!"

Stiles smile curled into a taunting sneer.

"He's no longer in control," he whispered. "Don't think its only his fears I see. I see exactly who you are... Derek Hale."

Derek gasped like he'd been hit by freezing cold water, but the creature kept taunting him.

"I know you have feelings for me."

"Derek don't listen to it!" Peter cut in.

"Why listen to him?" Stiles went on seductively like Peter wasn't there. "He killed your sister. Look at me Derek... "

He did, and it took everything Derek had not to relent under that soft amber gaze. Not to release the grip staying the dagger in Stiles' hand.

"Its me Derek," Stiles whispered, putting all his power of coercion into his voice. "Its always been me. I've always been like this, on the inside... "

Derek felt that voice playing through his mind like sweet honey, finding his will weakening, and he wanted to listen to it...

"We don't have to be enemies," Stiles went on, amber eyes penetrating into Derek's mind and heart. "What has Scott ever done for you except tried to put you in his shadow?"

Derek couldn't stop the anger rising at the truth of the creature's words.

"Join with me Derek," Stiles crooned in his most seductive voice. "We can have Beacon Hills again for ourselves. _Kill _for me... "

Derek didn't know why he was listening to it. Why its words suddenly seemed so tempting and reasonable to him. Why should he be in Scott's shadow? Why shouldn't he still be alpha?

Stiles' eyes glowed a strangely pleasing color of azure.

"Kill for me," he repeated. "I can see inside your mind just like his. I love you Derek. Kill... "

Derek forced his eyes closed, and inhaled to clear his thoughts. He knew this wasn't Stiles. The creature was taunting him, and now it dared to entertain the thought of making him its slave?

"Derek just finish him," Peter's voice cut into his consciousness. "It isn't Stiles anymore. You know what you have to do!"

Then it hit him. Derek did know what he had to do, but even his uncle never could have guessed...

"Stiles I'm going to release your hand," Derek spoke suddenly.

The amber eyes of his enemy filled with surprise and conflict.

"What are you up to Derek Hale?" Nogitsune Stiles frowned.

"Nothing," Derek said with a hint of a smile. "And to prove it to you... "

Derek watched Stiles' mouth drop open in disbelief as he guided the hand with the blade down until the sharp edge was pressed right against his stomach. Stiles felt a jolt of hesitation and guilt at the sudden sad smile Derek gave him.

"Stiles if you're listening- I can't do it. I can't kill you. I can't fight you either, so you win. If this is what you want to do, go ahead and kill me. My life means nothing if I've already lost you."

"Derek don't be foolish," Peter snapped at him.

However Derek ignored him, remaining focused on Stiles.

"I believe in you Stiles," Derek went on. "He lies when he says you're weak, and you can't beat him. Its up to you now. When I release your hand... unless you're strong enough... he'll kill me."

Derek looked into that face for what might be the last time, and never had he felt such love for anyone, not even Paige. Was it Stiles looking out at him from those eyes, or was it the dark force that had invaded him? He inhaled with a dreadful, overpowering sense of finality and released Stiles' hand.

A cruel malice came into those amber eyes. Stiles pulled back his arm, prepared to thrust the blade in. Derek closed his eyes, expecting to feel a sharp stab of death that never came.

He heard an injured sound and when he opened his eyes Stiles hand was still holding the dagger, but with no signs of attacking. Derek resisted the urge to do anything to prevent him.

Stiles looked at the dagger, hand shaking violently.

"Stiles can you hear me?"

Stiles looked at him, and his bottom lip quivered. The knife hit the loft floor as his hands flew up to the sides of his head, fingers threading through his brunette hair.

"No!" Stiles exclaimed. "Get out of my head!"

"Stiles you can beat him!" Derek insisted. "Don't listen to the lies he tells."

But Stiles barely heard him. He was back in that room in the recesses of his mind. The Nogitsune pressed him against the wall, barring its twisted teeth.

"He can't save you Stiles."

"Don't give up Stiles," Derek's voice said, but it sounded far away.

"Skinny, defenseless Stiles," the creature taunted.

Stiles felt anger, but this time it was accompanied with inititive.

"I'm not skinny and defenseless!" he shouted, and this time when he shoved his shadow went flying.

The creature stepped forward again.

"Trying to save us," it whispered, stretching out a gnarled and burned hand. "Trying to save you, Stiles. You need us."

"You're just a shadow!" Stiles shouted at it. "Back to your place on the wall! You're just a shadow! You're not even real!"

The creature gasped in fear and backed away. Stiles seemed to mount up suddenly, rising above it. Was it getting smaller?

"You're just a shadow, and I'm Stiles Stilinski!"

Suddenly it was all gone. A great weight had fallen from him, or out of him...

Stiles opened his eyes, dropping his hands to his sides. He was aware again of standing in Derek's loft. Derek was still looking at him.

"Its gone," he managed in a whisper. "Its just my shadow."

Derek eyed him skeptically.

"I'm master of my shadow, right Derek?" Stiles asked, his old laugh was back.

Derek's heart rose at that laugh, and even though he had no idea what the boy was talking about, he smiled in spite of himself.

"I'm glad you're back," he said gently.

Stiles eyed him with surprise, but then he found himself smiling back. Their arms found one another at the same time, both of them seeming to fall into one another's embrace. It seemed to Stiles like those strong arms held him forever before that whispered confession...

"I love you, you know that?"

Stiles felt his insides twist at Derek's confession, but the sudden emotion he felt told him it was all right.

"I love you too Derek... "

Peter just watched, frowning in disgust, but it was his nephew's life after all.


End file.
